Apparatus for supporting the body of a person

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for supporting the body of a person ( 2 ). Said device comprises a seating surface ( 3 ), a back support ( 4 ) and a moveable lordosis support ( 11 ). A therapeutically, particularly effective relief of the strain on the lumbar column ( 17 ) can be produced by virtue of the fact that an additional lateral support ( 10 ) for the body engages in the region of the Musculus latissimus dorsi of the person ( 2 ) and by virtue of the fact that the seating surface ( 3 ) can be embodied in such a manner that it can be lowered in relation to the back support ( 4 ).

The invention relates to an apparatus for supporting the body of a person, comprising a seating surface, a back support and a movable lordosis support arranged in the region of the back support, in which the one support acting in the region of the musculus latissimus dorsi of the person is provided for the trunk and in which the seating surface is provided with a configuration that can be lowered relative to the back support.

Health problems in the field of the spine have become increasingly more important in the past few years. As a result of the currently prevailing living conditions, the intervertebral disks are strained to a strong extent, which may lead to a prolapse of a disk for example. Surgery for treating problems with intervertebral disks is very complex and naturally linked with side effects and risks. The stiffening of sections of the spinal column for relieving the damaged disks often leads to consequential damage in adjacent areas. In view of the above facts, the prevention of damage is of special importance and even a conservative treatment of injuries that have already occurred by methods of physiotherapy is also gaining in importance.

From a scientific viewpoint, respective dynamic functional sequences and control loops are increasingly given more focus:

-   -   In the clinical examination of persons with myealgia (which         currently afflict two-thirds of the population of western         industrial states), imaging diagnostics (X-rays, CT) show no         respective morphological substrate in up to 90% of the cases.     -   They predominantly concern functional-dynamic disorders and         their consequences.     -   The discovery of so-called Nozi receptors (receiving devices of         certain cells which forward certain adverse influences; they can         be found in numerous structures such as the capsules of the         small vertebral joints, in the ligamentous apparatus,         invertrebral disks, the periosteum of the spine of a vertebrae,         etc.).     -   A favorable tissue trophism (nutritional state, metabolism in         the tissue) as occurs by dynamic sitting will prevent myealgia.     -   Intervertebral disks (which are also known as the cartilage of         the vertebral joints) do not have any blood vessels; trophism         occurs through diffusion.     -   Intervertebral disks require an exchange of fluids (and         respective displacements of fluid in their fiber tissue) for         nutrition and for removing metabolic products. This is ensured         by an alternating load on the intervertebral disk.     -   The intervertebral disk lives by movement.     -   Lack of movement (e.g. longer “static” or non-dynamic sitting)         impairs the metabolic processes and leads to early wearing of         the intervertebral disks. Decreasing height of the         intervertebral disks leads to a clear increase in pressure in         the intervertebral joints (spondylarthrosis).     -   The relevance of functional control loops and the pathogenesis         of functional spinal column disorders are shown in FIG. 8 as a         simplified example.     -   Intradiskal pressure measurements have revealed that certain         intermittent changes in position of the seated person will         consistently reduce the intradiskal pressure. Especially         advantageous are dosed traction positions of the lumbar spine         with a slight flattening of the lumbar lordosis (=dosed kyphotic         traction). This can be compared to a certain extent to         zero-gravity in water (backstroke swimming). This method has         proven its worth both preventatively as well as curatively.     -   In nearly all functional disorders of the (lumbar) spine, a         dosed traction (up to zero-gravity in the segments) is         subjectively felt as pleasant and further acts in alleviating         pain.     -   So-called “lordosis supports” serve for providing an optimized         seating static (the tendency towards kyphosis is compensated).         Nozi-reactive reactions cannot be prevented due to lack of         dynamic relief in case of longer sitting (examples: WO 01/60209,         DE 100 30 065 A and EP 0 702 522 B).

The precondition for a successful sitting concept therefore means considering physiological static and purposeful dynamic functional sequences.

It has been seen however that said lordosis supports will often not show the desired effect and will partly even lead to increased problems.

Solutions as are known for example from FR 2 683 983 A, EP 0 113 613 A or U.S. Pat. No. 3,140,118 A cannot solve the problems as described above in a satisfactory manner.

It is the object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages and to provide a solution which allows an actual relief especially in the region of the lumbar spine.

It is provided for in accordance with the invention that the seating surface is subdivided into a front section and a back section which are height-adjustable independent from one another. The present invention is based on the finding that although conventional lordosis supports can cause a reduction of the normal forces occurring in the lumbar spine which are caused by the weight of the trunk of the respective person and any loads carried by such person, said lordosis support will lead to a bending strain on the spine which increases the concavity of the spine, which again leads to an unfavorable loading situation of the individual intervertebral disks. As a result, the actually positive effect of such a lordosis support is reduced or, under adverse conditions, is even reversed entirely.

By providing an additional support which encloses and supports the thorax of the person, the solution in accordance with the invention allows a substantially pressure strain in the region of the lordosis support, so that the curvature of the spine in the concave region is not amplified but even reduced by stretching. As a result, the positive relieving effect which is caused by a reduction in the normal force can even be amplified. For this purpose it is not only necessary to lower the seating surface but to have a relative movement of the front and back section of the seating surface.

The musculus latissimus dorsi is the largest muscle of the human with respect to its surface area. It is wide and planar and forms the muscular basis of the rear axillary fold. It originates with the pars vertebralis from the spines of the 7^(th) to 12^(th) vertebra of the chest, with the pars costalis from the 10^(th) to 12^(th) rib and as pars scapularis from the shoulder blade. Point of attachment is the crista tuberculi minoris on the humerus. It is the function of the musculus latissimus dorsi to lower the lifted arm, to adduct the arm and to pull the same to the back and medial. At the same time, an inside rotation of the arm is produced.

In the area of this muscle there are also numerous points which are assigned spasmolytic (muscle-relaxing) properties in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) when performing acupressure.

A further relevant aspect of the invention is that the stretching of the spine is not caused primarily by a lifting of the lordosis support but on the contrary by a lowering of the seating surface, especially in the back region. On the one hand, the entire back support can also contribute to the support of the trunk by the occurring frictional forces and, on the other hand, this type of movement is conceived to be substantially more pleasant by persons using the apparatus. When using the apparatus in accordance with the invention as a vehicle seat it must be noted specially positively in this connection that the height of the head will virtually not change in this way.

In order to achieve an especially advantageous effect it can be provided that only the rear section of the seating surface will lower in order to achieve a relief or that both sections will lower, but the back section more than the front one. It is especially advantageous when simultaneously with the lowering the front section is moved forwardly, as a result of which a bending moment is introduced into the lower lumbar spine, causing a stretching of the spine and a reduction in the concave curvature. A similar effect can also be achieved in that the seating surface is provided with a tiltable configuration in addition or as an alternative, as a result of which the buttocks is lowered in relationship to the knees of the sitting person.

In an especially advantageous embodiment of the invention it is provided that the additional support encloses the thorax laterally up to the region of the axillary line. This means that the additional support supports the thorax of the person at the back and side, but releases the same to the front in order to avoid obstructing the movements necessary for breathing. An especially favorable transmission of force can be achieved in such a way that the additional support is provided with a movable configuration and can be pressed onto the trunk of the person. This is achieved by means of elements which can be inflated pneumatically, so that the exerted forces can be controlled individually.

The solution in accordance with the invention can be used on the one hand as a therapeutic appliance in which a physician or a therapist controls the individual movements via a control unit in order to achieve the respective therapeutic effects. On the other hand, the apparatus can also be used as a seat for vehicles or as an office chair for example. The sequence of movements as described above is carried out at least when a person sits on the chair, but it can also be repeated in numerous intervals in order to neutralize the setting effects occurring in the meantime and in order to newly align the spine.

The invention is now explained in closer detail by reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 schematically shows an apparatus in accordance with the invention in a longitudinal sectional view;

FIG. 2 shows an axonometric view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view along line III-III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show details which show the actuation of the additional support;

FIG. 6 shows an alternative form of the additional support;

FIG. 7 schematically shows an alternative embodiment of the invention in a longitudinal sectional view, and

FIG. 8 shows a diagram explaining the relevance of functional control loops and the pathogenesis of functional spinal disorders.

FIG. 1 shows an apparatus in accordance with the invention as seat 1 for a motor vehicle together with the person 2 using the seat 1. The seat 1 consists of a seating surface 3 and a back support 4. The seating surface 3 is composed of two sections, namely a front section 5 provided for supporting the distal section of the thigh 7 of the person 2 and a rear section 6 provided for supporting the proximal section of the thigh 7 of the person 2.

The front section 5 of the seating surface 3 can be extended forwardly along the arrow 8. Optionally, a slight lifting of the distal section of the thigh 7 of the person 2 can be caused. At the same time, the rear section 6 of the seating surface 3 can be lowered in the direction of arrow 9, which thus causes a pivoting movement of the thigh 7 in the clockwise direction. The described movements of the sections 5 and 6 are preferably caused pneumatically by inflatable cushion elements, which thus allows achieving an optimal adjustment to the individual conditions of the person 2 by considering the sitting comfort on the one hand and thus enabling the control and adjustment of the kinematics in a comparably simple manner on the other hand.

In the upper region of the back support 4, an additional support 10 for the trunk is provided, which support acts laterally in the region of the musculus latissimus dorsi of the person 2 and which encloses the trunk of the person approximately reaching up to the region of the axillary line 12 or slightly above. In the ideal case, the upper edge 10 a of the support 10 is situated in the region of the axilla, whereas the lower edge 10 a of the support 10 is situated at the height of the 11^(th) or 12^(th) vertebra of the chest. A lordosis support is situated beneath the same, which is substantially adjusted to the anatomic conditions and additionally supports the trunk without exerting a pressure on the concave section of the spine 17 which would increase the pressure on the lordosis.

A hand 13 of the person 2 is shown in a typical posture when a steering-wheel (not shown) is held. This posture also ensures that the space required for the additional support 10 is available without impairing comfort. Moreover, a flattening of the lumbar lordosis is caused by the lifting of the arms and a slight inner rotation of the shoulder, thus increasing the effect of the apparatus in accordance with the invention.

In an analogous manner, the apparatus in accordance with the invention can be configured as an office chair. A height-adjustable base part can be provided on the bottom side in the known manner, which is not shown here.

The effect of the invention is explained below. The additional support 10 is activated at first, e.g. by inflating pneumatic elements, brought to a position in which the trunk of the person 2 is held securely by close contact. Subsequently, the rear section 6 of the seating surface 3 is lowered, leading to two effects: on the one hand, a relief of the lumbar spine 17 is achieved by an increase in the distance of the seating surface 3 from the additional support 10 and on the other hand a turning moment is produced in the hip region in the clockwise direction by the pivoting movement of the thigh, thus exercising an effect weakening the lordosis on the lumbar spine 17.

A relief of the intervertebral disks in the lower section of the spine 17 is achieved in two respects. The lordosis support 11 contributes to the support of the trunk of the person 2 without obstructing the flattening of the lordosis or counteracting the above described effects.

FIG. 2 shows a seat 1 in accordance with the invention in an axonometric view. It can be seen that the seat 1 has a head rest 14 in the known manner in order to prevent whiplash injuries in rear-end collisions or the like as far as possible. The additional support 10 is provided in the two lateral regions of the back support 4. A non-active section 15 is provided medially which resiliently supports the back region, but cannot be activated pneumatically.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the apparatus in accordance with the invention in the region of the additional support 10. Reference numeral 16 indicates the soft parts of the trunk of the person 2. The spine is designated with reference numeral 17, and 18 indicates a pair of ribs. The back support 4 consists of a rigid component 19 on which supporting elements 20, 21 are provided laterally which jointly form the additional support 10. The thickness of the support elements 20, 21 can be changed pneumatically, thus allowing a close fit on the trunk of the person 2. A non-pneumatically actuating section 15 is arranged in the medial region of the back support 4.

The details of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show a possible configuration of the additional support 10 in a detailed view, with FIG. 4 showing the inflated (extended) state and FIG. 5 the initial state. A plurality of tubular pneumatic elements 22 is fastened to fastening points 23 on the rigid component 19. A cover layer 25 is suspended via further fastening points 24 on the pneumatic elements 22. Inclined attached spring elements 26 produce a movement of the cover layer 25 in the direction of the double arrow 27 when the air quantity in the pneumatic elements 22 is changed. It is achieved in this way that in the actuation of the additional support 10 not only a movement towards the body of the person 2 is performed, but also simultaneously a lifting of the cover layer 25. This lifting is provided primarily to compensate displacements possibly caused by the soft parts such as clothing of the like without lifting the trunk in its entirety. A special advantage is achieved in such a way that the position of the head for example does not change with respect to the position of the motor vehicle, which is of special importance for driving convenience.

FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment, in which further pneumatic elements are provided in addition to the pneumatic elements 22, which further pneumatic elements allow in cooperation with the spring elements 26 holding the pneumatic elements 22 here a movement in the direction of arrow 27. FIG. 6 shows the pneumatic elements 28 in different stages of inflation.

FIG. 7 schematically shows an apparatus configured as a therapeutic appliance. Analogous parts are designated with the same reference numerals. The front section 5 of the seating surface 3 can be extended in the forward direction as indicated with FIG. 5 a. The rear section 6 can be swiveled downwardly via a joint 29, with the swiveled-out position being shown with the broken lines. The angle between the rear section 6 and the back support in the region of the joint 30 is designated with ax. In the initial state this angle a is 90° for example. As a result of respective kinematics in the region of the flexibly arranged back support 4 it is achieved that the angle ax will increase in the lowered state of the rear section 6 and achieves a value of 110° for example. A force reducing the lordosis on the lumbar spine 17 is exerted in this manner.

The apparatus in accordance with the invention can be provided with an automatic control which after performing a relieving cycle consisting of an activation of the additional supports 10 and a subsequent downward or forward movement of the seating surface 3 causes a return to an initial position in order to enable a renewed relieving cycle. The other actuation can be initiated periodically in predetermined time intervals or, in the case of a motor vehicle seat, by the person using the apparatus. In the case of a therapeutic appliance, the apparatus is controlled by a physician or a therapist. A number of intervention and control possibilities are given in order to use the therapeutic effect in a purposeful way. 

1-12. (canceled)
 13. An apparatus for supporting the body of a person, comprising a seating surface, a back support and a movable lordosis support arranged in the region of the back support, in which one additional support acting laterally in the region of the musculus latissimus dorsi of the person is provided for the trunk and in which the seating surface is provided with a configuration that can be lowered relative to the back support, said seating surface being subdivided into a front section and a rear section which are height-adjustable independent from one another.
 14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the seating surface is subdivided into a front section and a rear section and that at least the rear section can be lowered independent of the front section.
 15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the front section is movable in a longitudinal direction.
 16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the front section and the rear section are coupled so that the front section will move forwardly in the case of a downward movement of the rear section.
 17. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the seating surface is provided with a tiltable configuration.
 18. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the additional support encloses the thorax laterally up to the region of the axillary line.
 19. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the additional support is provided with a movable configuration and is provided with a configuration so as to be pressed against the trunk of the person.
 20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the additional support is provided with a configuration so as to be actuated pneumatically
 21. An apparatus according to claim 13, including a control device which successively moves the lordosis support and optionally the additional support towards the person and thereafter lowers the rear section of the seating surface.
 22. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the apparatus is configured as a therapeutic appliance and is connected with a control unit which is configured for controlling individual movements.
 23. An apparatus according to claim 13, configured as a seat for vehicles.
 24. An apparatus according to claim 13, configured as an office chair. 